Left Behind
by Grey-wolf-girl
Summary: Amu didn't hear a word of what the principal was saying. She only had eyes for one person, the one who sat in the chair opposite the principal. Even though his back was turned, there was no mistaking him. "You..." she gasped. "Hello, Amu Hinamori."
1. Chapter 1

I'M AMAZING!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!! No matter what ANYONE says, this story is awesome-sauce, and you know it.

On a more serious note, this is my fourth story. I need ideas for Defying Gravity, but Half-Breed is in the process of being edited for publication. I'm on summer break, so MAYBE I'll be able to catch up. If anyone has ideas for what I should do, PLEASE tell me… PLEASE!!!!! PLEEEEEEEAAAASSSSSSSEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

I've got more stories on the way, such as one for Toradora, one for Naruto, one for Doctor Who, and perhaps something for Princess Tutu. But, no promises.

**WARNING: There are very slight crossovers in this story: one of Amu's classmates is Ino Yamanake from Naruto, and Amu's roommate is Taiga Aisaka from Toradora! However, the crossovers are so slight that I didn't think it was worth putting the story in a crossover section.**

Also…

SHUGO CHARA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME!!!! IT BELONGS TO ITS RESPECTIVE OWNERS (OF WHICH I DO NOT KNOW THE NAMES)!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

I just had to put in the following quote, because it's really cool and it kind of fits the story.

* * *

…**from the beginning of time,**

**In childhood, I thought**

**That pain meant I was not loved.**

**It meant I loved.**

**- Louise Gluck, "First Memory"**

* * *

"Birthday girl? Are you coming or what?" Taiga Aisaka called to her roomate _(A.N: I can't help it!!!! Taiga's just so awesome!!!)._

"Give me a second!" replied Amu Hinamori. She brushed her hair out of her face, surveying her work. Her pink hair was tied in a pony tail which hung to mid-back. She had on a white, flowing, short skirt which complimented her long legs. She zipped up a bright pink sweat shirt, letting a little of her cute black tee show. Yep, this was definitely an outfit that someone who had just entered 17-year-old-dom would wear.

She exited the bathroom and flew through the door that Taiga held wide open.

* * *

_"Tick, tock, tick, tock..."_

Amu watched the clock impatiently, wishing that it would move faster. Science was the most boring subject ever.

"Only 20 more minutes," she tried to reassure herself.

This was her last class of the day.

_"Everyone's probably organized some big party,"_ she thought to herself, smiling slightly. On the inside, she felt like cheering, _"I CAN'T WAIT!!" _but she couldn't. After all, Amu had a reputation to uphold.

The intercom buzzed and the classroom fell silent, all heads turning to the small speaker hanging beside the blackboard.

The composed voice of the principal crackled through.

"Could Amu Hinamori please report to the principal's office? Amu Hinamori to the principal's office? Thank you."

"Ooh. Are you in trouble, Amu?" taunted Ino, a stupid blonde with exaggerated makeup _(A.N: Who else could I have picked?!)._

"Shut up," muttered Amu as she sauntered out of the classroom, pulling her bag over her shoulder. As soon as she was in the hallway, she frowned and stuck out her tongue. Why did the principal want to see her? She hadn't done anything, no really bad grades or stink bombs in the bathroom.

"Um… I'm here to see the principal?" said Amu as she entered the waiting room.

"Oh, you can go right in, Amu-san," stated the young secretary, giving the teen an encouraging smile.

Amu had her hand on the doorknob when the secretary said something else in a low voice.

"Hm?" Amu looked over her shoulder at the woman.

"You have all the luck, Amu-san. A handsome stranger never showed up at _my_ school and demanded to see me when _I _was your age," sighed the secretary, face softening as she pictured some faraway dreamland.

Amu blinked. The wheels began turning in her brain. Without thinking, her hand slipped downward and the door opened wide open without a sound.

"Why, hello there, Hinamori-san. I'm sorry for disrupting your classes but your brother wanted to see you so very much," greeted the principal. She sat behind a great wooden desk, hands folded politely in her lap.

"My… brother?" questioned Amu, turning her head to look at the other person in the room.

"Yes, he…"

Amu didn't hear a word. She only had eyes for one person, the one who sat in the chair opposite the principal. Even though his back was turned, there was no mistaking him.

He stood and turned gracefully. At the sight of her, his face lit up for a moment, then assumed a customary smirk. "Hello, Amu Hinamori."

"You…" She gasped. Her mouth dropped open, forming a little O.

"I'm sorry it's been so long, but I was very busy. When I realized that your birthday was approaching, I just couldn't resist coming back to visit. I hope you'll forgive me."

Amu couldn't speak. Her body didn't want to function.

Silence reigned as he calmly waited for a response.

Sensing the uncomfortable air, the principal quickly spoke up.

"Perhaps you would like to go outside for a bit and walk around the grounds. I'm sure you'd both like some privacy."

He turned to the principal and nodded gratefully. "Thank you so much. I'm afraid that Amu must be in shock; as I told you, we haven't seen each other in six years."

His cold fingers wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her out, passing the curious eyes of the secretary, through the hallways, and out the door. Amu had no strength to protest.

When the sunlight hit her full in the face, Amu felt her body defrost, and suddenly she was angry. And hurt. And scared. And something else she couldn't admit to herself.

The man's smirk widened at the flashes of familiar emotions in her golden eyes.

Amu pushed back the other emotions in her head, making anger most prominent.

"You… You little… You little bastard!" she shrieked suddenly. Her arm flew in a wild ark and she heard the sound of skin hitting skin.

It was only when he put a hand to his reddening cheek that she realized that she had slapped him. She, Amu Hinamori, had slapped Ikuto.

As she recalled his name, the anger vanished to be replaced by a great bubble of hurt which welled in her throat.

"I guess I deserved that," Ikuto sighed. He looked the same as ever; raven hair as soft as a cat's fur, midnight eyes, and handsome features that so easily took her breath away.

"It's been six years! Six freakin' years!" she cried. Her hands balled into fists. Her nails dug into her skin, the only thing keeping her from bursting into tears. "Do you have any idea how long I waited for you?! And you didn't even bother saying goodbye!! Damn it, how could you have done that…?!"

His fingers brushed her hair away from her face, moving then to cup her cheek.

"I'm sorry," her murmured. "I'm sorry I hurt you. But if I'd stayed in this city a moment longer, Easter would've murdered me and my sister. We had to get out. I would have said goodbye, but they were watching your house and I didn't want to put you in danger. Besides, you wouldn't have let me leave!" He laughed, hoping that she would too.

At the sound of his laugh, the sound that she had longed for ever since his disappearance, she couldn't hold in her tears and she sobbed recklessly, throwing herself at him, wanting to scratch his eyes out. Somehow, his arms encircled her, his voice soft as velvet murmuring into her ear.

"Why? Why did you… You could've…" she muttered, hiccups breaking off each incoherent thought.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Finally, the sobs became less frequent, and then they stopped altogether.

Ikuto held her at arms' length, studying her face.

"I never thought I'd see you all grown up. But here you are," he commented.

Amu felt a flush of pride color her cheeks. He had always been a head taller than her, but she had grown since then. She was pretty, popular with the boys in her class. At the thought of boys, her face fell.

"What?" he asked, smirking playfully.

"I'm dating Tadase," she whispered, fixing her eyes on her shoes.

His hands convulsed on her shoulders and he shoved them in his pockets.

Amu couldn't meet his eyes.

"I didn't know you were into charity," he said icily, his voice clipped.

She frowned, not catching his meaning. "Charity?"

"Pitying the worthless," Ikuto clarified. His blue eyes burned with a fiery rage, burning straight into her own.

"Tadase is not worthless! He's kind, and smart, and he respects me!" she spat, covering up her unhappiness with her want to protect her best friend.

"Do you love him?" Ikuto interjected, searching her face again for an answer.

"I…"

_"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"_

"That's the bell! I've got to get my books!" she said, spinning on her heel and dashing back into the school. She prayed that her stupid crying hadn't ruined her makeup as she opened her locker and peered inside, pulling out the books that she'd need over the weekend.

"Science, Chemistry, History," she muttered, placing each one in her bag with either little or no care. She stopped when she saw three eggs nestled in a corner of the bag, one blue, one pink, and one green. Inside were her Guardian Charas, napping. Thank God they'd been sleeping. Amu knew that Ikuto's appearance would have been very confusing if Miki had been awake. It was no secret that Miki was infatuated with Ikuto's Chara.

_"Does that mean that I'm the same as her?"_ wondered Amu. _"Am I infatuated with Ikuto?"_

"Amu-chan!"

Amu turned at the sound of her name and waved as Yaya came pelting towards her.

"Amu-chan! Come on! We've got to get to get you ready!" exclaimed Yaya, bouncing up and down in excitement.

"For what?" moaned Amu. _"Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it,"_ she prayed silently. After seeing Ikuto, all she wanted to do was be alone.

"For your birthday party, of course!"

_"She said it!" _

"Come on!"

Amu closed her locker and followed Yaya outside. The red-head was positively glowing.

As they passed the gate, Amu saw a flash of blue. She turned her head, and saw Ikuto glaring at her from behind a nearby tree. She blinked, and he was gone.

"Amu-chan? Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah," muttered Amu.

* * *

**COLLECTIVE CRITICISM, ENCOURAGEMENTS, AND FAVORITES ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!! THANK YOU FOR READING!!!!**

**Star-chan**


	2. Chapter 2

HIIIIIII!!!!!! I'M BACK!!! YAY!!!!! Hahaha, I have today and next week off (I just love the French don't you? I mean, come on, HALLOWEEN VACATION!!!!)

Had to get this over with, because I've been feeling kind of guilty. My computer screen seems to stare at me, saying, _"You still haven't finished, have you?"_

_**REVIEW, DARN IT!**_

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Colored lights danced across the dance floor, bathing the crowd of people in light. The trees had been decorated with streamers of every color imaginable. A stage had been set up in one corner of the courtyard, with large speakers on either side. A banner had been hung over it, with the words "Happy Birthday, Amu!" written in gold. Loud music was playing, almost drowned out by the voices of the people.

A sudden hush fell over the courtyard as the last of the guests walked in. Yaya Yuiki came first, dressed in a short, yellow summer dress which bounced playfully with each step she took, glued to the arm of Kukai Souma. Next came Rima Mashiro, dressed all in pink, stepping lightly beside Nagehiko Fujisaki. Finally, Tadase Hotori, looking slightly dazzled, walked in with an almost unrecognizable beauty. Her glossy pink hair fell to below her shoulders, covered in a curtain of delicate braids. Shimmering crimson fabric fell around her thin form, making her golden eyes flash.

Amu grinned shyly, waving, and the crowd exploded into a chorus of voices. Since the birthday girl had arrived, the music was set to full volume, and the partiers went back to their previous conversations, some swaying and looking longingly to the dance floor.

Once the attention turned from her, Amu let her smile fall just a little.

"You look amazing," complimented Tadase, smiling warmly.

"Thanks," she answered. Distracted, she looked over his shoulder, searching for a flash of blue from the trees. Seeing nothing, she turned her attention back to her boyfriend.

"So, do you want to dance?" Tadase asked.

"That'd be great," Amu muttered, barely paying attention.

Tadase led her to the dance floor. Amu felt a familiar jolt of excitement run through her at the sound of the music blaring in the air. Her hips began to sway, her arms to move, her head to toss. She loved dancing, because she could have fun and concentrate on the music. Her worries could just melt away.

She danced tirelessly, barely caring who her dance partner was. As long as she could move, as long as the music never stopped, she was perfectly happy.

As the night wore on, the songs began to tone down somewhat. The high that dancing gave her faded, and the worries came crashing back down. She wanted to run from the crowd and hide somewhere safe.

Amu found herself constantly dancing with Tadase. This did not help.

It was when "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles began to play that her broken heart was almost wrenched open again.

She was in Tadase's gentle arms. His fingers were soft as they held her waist. Her fingers entwined in his head, her face pressed against his thin shoulder. His hold was warm, reassuring, comforting, understanding… but it wasn't what she wanted, what she needed.

Amu shivered and pushed the thought away, ashamed at her own mind.

"Amu?"

"Hm?" Amu turned her head a little, surprised, and was caught off guard when his gentle lips met her own. He kissed her sweetly, holding her face with one hand.

Surprised by the unexpected kiss, tears that had been controlled until now came to her eyes. She fought to hold them back, so that they wouldn't fall. She didn't want to hurt Tadase.

Not knowing what else to do, Amu lowered her head, breaking off the kiss. She knew that he was watching her, even though she avoided his gaze.

He breathed in slowly, leaning down so that his lips brushed her ear. "Amu, I lo-"

"Tadase, my man!" called a teasing voice.

Amu shrieked in surprise, leaping back from Tadase and turning to face the intruder.

Tadase turned, looking perturbed. "Kukai!"

"Yes, prince?" asked Kukai, laughing.

Amu watched in apprehension as a cloud seemed to pass over Tadase's feature. Kiseki, Tadase's Napoleonic Guardian Chara, was taking over. A small crown appeared on the boy's head.

"DO NOT DANCE, MY SUBJECTS!" he shouted above the music. "FOLLOW YOUR KING INSTEAD, AND HELP ME RULE THE WORLD! HAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA…" He ran off into the crowd, leaving a trail of dumbfounded spectators behind him.

"Kukai! You know better!" Amu chided, smacking his arm playfully. At the same time, she felt a wave of gratitude for her friend.

"You sound just like my mom," answered Kukai, making a face. He folded his arms over his chest and stared down, looking serious. "So… What's with you?"

Amu frowned. "Huh?"

"You've got a weird look on, like…" He leaned towards her, then his green eyes widened. "Amu, you're crying!"

"Oh!" she gasped, wiping frantically at her eyes.

"Come on, it's your birthday! You're seventeen! You've got one hell of a birthday party going on! How are you _not_ happy?"

Amu had no answer.

"Does it have something to do with getting called to the principal's office earlier?"

Amu looked at him suspiciously now. "How do you know about that?"

Kukai shrugged nonchalantly and buried his hands in his pockets. "I know my way around."

She glared.

He considered her. "You really think Yaya wasn't curious? I mean, usually, you would tell her everything, but you blew it off, and now you're crying. Come on, I'm not that thick."

Amu took a deep breath and steadied her features with effort. She smirked. "Yes, you are."

"Hey! I'm the one who's got a scholarship, remember?" He flicked her again.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You've been rubbing it in our faces all year."

He glared at her.

She glared back.

His eyes crinkled, and then he leaned back and laughed. She did too.

"Fine, Amu. You win," he laughed. He turned and gestured to the dance floor. "Do you want to…?"

"Sure," she answered, linking arms with him.

Kukai kept her moving, laughing and talking and dancing all at once. A safe harbor for a broken Amu; the one person that she could completely relax with.

But then Rento came into the picture.

"Hey, hey, Kukai! Don't keep Amu-chan all to yourself!" said Rento, Kukai's older brother, spinning poor Amu deftly away from Kukai.

Amu squirmed. "Um, really, Rento-sempai, you-"

Kukai fumed. "Rento, baka, I told you not to-"

Rento grinned. "Kukai, come on, you can have her back soon. And you, Amu-chan, you _do_ want to dance with me, don't you?"

Amu tried to pull her hands away from him, but failed. "Well, I-"

"Then, it's settled! I'll see you later, Kukai!"

And, just like that, Rento led a disturbed Amu away.

To Amu's extreme and absolute discomfort, Rento proved to be an _exceedingly _talkative and bubbly person, carrying on entire conversations by himself. He was also an absolutely _horrid _dancer.

When Unkai, another brother of Kukai's, passed by, grabbing Rento's attention, Amu almost cried out for joy.

"Unkai! Unkai, over here!" Rento waved.

Unkai turned, looking bored. His eyes bulged when he caught sight of Rento, and, being a very smart person, he turned away again, heading in the opposite direction.

"Unkai! Unkai!" Rento shouted louder at Unkai's retreating back. He frowned. "Huh. Guess he didn't hear me." He turned to survey Amu. "Meh… Wait here, will you? I'll be right back."

He disappeared after his brother.

Amu sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "He's gone…" she said, thanking the gods for these few moments of rest.

"Amu-chan? Are you alright?"

Amu looked up to meet the steady gaze of Kaidou, the eldest Souma brother.

She blushed a little. "Um, yeah, I'm fine," she said shyly.

Kaidou straightened up, still watching Amu. "Was Rento bothering you?"

"Oh, no, he wasn't bothering me at all, he was just…" Amu stopped mid-sentence and sighed.

"That bad, huh? Well, I guess I gotta make it up to you now…"

"Huh?"

Awkwardly, Kaidou bowed a little and offered a flabbergasted Amu his hand. She took it, and they started dancing. He was awkward, positively huge compared to any of the other Soumas. His arms were too thick, his legs too long, his shoulders too broad. Even Amu, tall as she was, only came up to the middle of his chest.

He said little; mumbling periodically about inconsequential things.

Amu noticed that with each stride, he pulled them farther and farther away from the dance floor and the lights. After just one song, they were both standing near the trees.

As the song ended, Kaidou turned to look behind him. Amu noticed a figure standing behind the man. The newcomer whispered something to Kaidou, something that Amu didn't catch.

"Sure thing, man," said Kaidou, quickly handing Amu over to the stranger. "See ya, Amu."

Amu watched him leave and turned back to her dance partner. As she did, a bit of light from the dance floor caught the side of his face. She saw dark hair and pale skin.

She relaxed a little. It was Shuusui, her favorite out of Kukai's brothers. Even in the darkness, she could make out his thin nose. He was the only boy she'd seen so far wearing anything fancy. He had on a full tuxedo, with a white rose stuck in his button hole. His hands were cool as they took hers.

The next song was slow. Amu was glad; she was tired and knew that Shuusui wouldn't mind her lack of energy. She could no longer here Tadase's shouts of world domination.

He didn't speak once during the entire song, but he was so comforting that Amu couldn't help but lean against him. They were way into the second song before Amu recovered from her lapse in awareness.

She had leaned back for a moment, glancing up at him, when she noticed that something was missing. She frowned and stood on her toes. The darkness was too thick, but she was sure that she wasn't mistaken.

"Shuusui-san, why aren't you wearing your glasses?" she asked.

Shuusui stopped moving and stared at her. He didn't respond.

"Shuusui-san?" she said again, wondering if he had heard her.

Shuusui hesitated then leaned close to her, finally speaking.

"You still don't recognize me?"

Amu shrieked and pulled away, but his hands formed shackles around her wrists.

It wasn't Shuusui. That wasn't Shuusui's voice. As her mind finally put the pieces together, she cursed herself for not noticing. How could she have been so stupid?

"Let me go, Ikuto," she murmured harshly, making another attempt to break away.

"No." Lights from the dance floor flashed full in his face, making his blue eyes sparkle like two candles.

"If you don't let go, I'll…" Amu broke off, her mind working furiously. "I'll scream. Yeah, I'll scream if you don't let me go right now."

She had nothing to lose. If he let her go, she would get someone, perhaps Tadase, to beat the unlucky cat to a pulp. If he didn't, she would scream for all she was worth, and someone, perhaps Tadase, would come to her rescue and beat the unlucky cat to a pulp.

Ikuto seemed to consider her. "Be my guest," he said finally.

"Alright," she said, a little shakily. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. As she began to scream, she felt a little proud of herself. Her voice wasn't shaky, it was loud and strong.

But then something rough and hot closed her lips.

She stopped mid-scream and opened her eyes. She could see dark eyelashes, casting shadows over a handsome face, so close, too close.

Realization of what Ikuto had done, what he was still doing, hit her hard, and her knees weakened. But his arm merely snaked around her waist, keeping her up. His fingers knotted in her hair as he pressed in more, taking away her breath. Her stomach knotted and she had to gasp for air. But he wouldn't let her go, wouldn't stop, and a strong emotion broke through from the wall that she had been building around herself for the past six years, and all those boundaries of hers came crashing down around her.

Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over, and he held her even tighter. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she knew that she was kissing him back.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he pulled away, leaving her breathless. She searched his face, and saw a happy twinkle in his eyes that was new. He touched his lips to hers once more, lightly this time then gently pulled her into the shadow of the trees.

* * *

Phew, that's the end of the chappie. IT'S NOT DONE, OKAY?! THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO MORE CHAPPIES TO COME!!!! YAY!!!!

I've had a strange obsession with the song "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles, so it was inevitable for it to end up mentioned in a fanfic.

So, yeah, I hope you liked it. It's my first try at writing anything truly romantic. Had to look at several books (like _Gone with the Wind_, for example) for insipiration. Hope you like it. **_Please, please, PULEEEZ REVIEW!!!_**

~Star-chan 3


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